Wednesday, January 17, 2018

The breast
collar, or breastplate, is a piece of tack used on horses in a variety of
disciplines. The purpose of the breast
collar is to keep the saddle or harness from sliding back.

The
variation of a breastplate used for western riding, is referred to as
a breast collar. The term breastplate is occasionally used, though western
riders generally use breast collar to refer to both designs. Breast collars can
attach to the saddle rigging or dee rings on the front of the saddle. In either case, an additional strap usually
runs between the front legs and attaches to the cinch. Some western breast
collars also have a wither strap.

The breast
collar is used on both English and Western saddles. Horses in Western
disciplines that involve working with cattle, use a thicker and
sturdier style.

The pulling breast collar harness is popular among Western riders,
particularly ranchers and ropers. The pulling style breast collar sits just
above the line of a horse's shoulders and buckle around the pommel of the
saddle. Ranchers, ropers, and others that prefer this style of breast collar,
say that pulling breast collars allow the horse more freedom of shoulder
movement and better leverage when pulling.

A wither
strap, or an over the neck breast collar strap, is designed to go up over the
withers to hold your breast collar up in the correct position over the
shoulder, so as not to rub across your horse’s shoulder.

Breast
collars should not be fitted in any way that will restrict the horse's
movement. Special attention should be paid to the shoulders, chest, and the
area between the horse's front legs. A general fitting guide is that a fist
should fit between the breast collar and the horse's chest, and there should be
a hand's width between the wither strap and the withers. The breast strap
should have some slack, and the buckle shouldn’t rub the sensitive skin in the
area. It should also be adjusted so that the chest straps lie above the point
of the shoulder, so that the horse's motion is not restricted.

Breast collars are often tooled, embellished with conchos and
personalized in many ways. If you
already have a breast collar, your existing tack can be updated and
personalized. You can find our breast
collars and all of our American made tack at www.buckarooleather.com .

Our family has been dedicated for 30+ years in serving
the Western Horseman the safest most durable Quality
American made leather horse tack.......
Buckaroo John Brand
Buckaroo Leather, The Brand to Demand
Visit Our Unique Store Today
Buckaroo Leather Shopping Site

Sunday, December 31, 2017

Evidence exists that the predecessor to the modern saddle was in
use by the Assyrians in 700-800 BCE. It consisted of a simple cloth fastened
onto the horse with a surcingle. These early saddles had neither a solid tree
nor stirrups. By 300 BC, the Samaritans added a breastplate and girth to keep
the saddle on.

The development of the solid saddle tree was significant; it
raised the rider above the horse's back, and distributed the rider's weight on
the animal's spine. This change greatly increased the comfort of the horse and
prolonged its useful life. The invention of the solid saddle tree also allowed
development of the stirrup. Without a solid tree, the rider's weight in the
stirrups creates abnormal pressure points and makes the horse's back sore.

The first stirrup like object was invented in India, and
consisted of a simple leather strap in which the rider's toe was placed. It
offered very little support. The nomadic tribes in northern China are thought
to have been the inventors of the modern stirrup. The stirrup appeared to be in
widespread use across China by 477 AD. The stirrup and it’s use then spread to
Europe.

During the Middle Ages, the nights needed a saddle that could
help hold them in place and support the weight of heavy armor and weapons. This
resulted in a saddle that was built on a wooden tree with both a higher pommel
and cantle, making it much harder to knock a rider off during battle. This
saddle was padded with wool or horsehair and covered in leather or fabric.

The American stock saddle evolved from the early Spanish Conquistador’s
war saddle. The Mexican Vaqueros adapted the saddle, which had a heavy, rigid
tree, high fork, high cantle, deep-dished seat, leather skirt and short
stirrups. In the late 1700's, the Mexican "California" saddle came
about. It had a fixed, round skirt,
along with a more substantial rigging.
The rigging, which consisted of a cinch ring that hung down in line with
the front fork and a horizontal strap that ran from the cinch to the back of
the tree, secured the saddle. The strong high-peaked pommels of this saddle
were ideal for taking a turn around a rope for holding an animal. The Texans
then altered the design even more. They kept the wooden tree, horn, cantle and
stamped leather but they modified the wooden horn so it was short, thick and
covered in leather. The skirt was changed to a plain square skirt and the
stirrups were made out of wide, bent pieces of wood which were much stronger
than the ones previously used. A second cinch was also added to firmly anchor
the saddle. In the 1870's they changed the horn again to a short metal one, as
the wooden ones often broke when dealing with a wild cow.

During this time saddle makers were spread throughout the west
and were quite busy making and repairing saddles. Many new designs and
innovations came about with the input that they received from ranchers, cowboys
and the influx from the East. There were many different styles of saddles seen,
the "Plantation-style", "Morgan", "Hope" and "Cheyenne"
were just a few.

Today, there is no end to the saddles that are designed for a wide
variety of uses and riders.

Our family has been dedicated for 30+ years in serving
the Western Horseman the safest most durable Quality
American made leather horse tack.......
Buckaroo John Brand
Buckaroo Leather, The Brand to Demand
Visit Our Unique Store Today
Buckaroo Leather Shopping Site

Monday, November 6, 2017

The trails have been long and your
rides have been great, now it’s time to prepare for winter! Winter is going to be here before we know
it! It’s time to winterize your horse trailer.

All types of horse trailers will benefit
from a good scrubbing, inside and out.

If you make sure that all waste and
dirt are removed, it will help keep your trailer looking good for longer. Here
are a few things you’ll want to do:

Remove your floor mats, scrub them
thoroughly. Clean away all hay and
manure, scrub your floor boards and rinse them clean, so that the waste doesn’t
soak in. Allow the mats to dry
completely before you put them back in the trailer.

Go over your trailer, lubricate hinges,
locks, latches, etc., to prevent them from corroding or locking up while they
aren’t being used.

Check your breakaway brake battery,
if so equipped. Remove and recharge if
needed. Store the battery in a warm, dry
place.

Inspect your trailer, confirm that
your flooring is in good condition.
Replace wood floor boards and repair any corroded aluminum flooring as
needed.

If your trailer has living quarters, it does require a few
extra steps.

Remove any and all food from your
refrigerator, cabinets and drawers. Leave the door open to prevent mold and
mildew.

Rodents can cause expensive damage
very quickly. Remove bedding, paper products, clothing, magazines or anything
that can be used as nesting materials.

Service the hot water heater. Drain water by opening the relief valve and
remove the drain plug. Remember to put the drain plug back in so rodents and
other small animals can’t nest in there. It’s also good to flush the water tank
with clean water to remove any silt build up in the tank. Also, drain water
from your fresh water holding tank and all the water lines in your
trailer. This includes the sink, toilet
and shower.

Drain your gray water and black
water tanks.

Use the appropriate, RV rated,
anti-freeze and pump it through the water pipes. Pour anti-freeze into the
sink, shower drains, toilet bowl and tank.

Remove the batteries from all
appliances, including the smoke detector.

Make sure that propane tanks and the
main power switch are turned off.

Remove and recharge the living
quarters battery. Store the battery in a warm, dry place.

Clean or replace filters.

Now your trailer is ready for winter!

See all of our tack at www.buckarooleather.com!

Our family has been dedicated for 30 years in serving
the Western Horseman the safest most durable Quality
American made leather horse tack.......
Buckaroo John Brand
Buckaroo Leather, The Brand to Demand
Visit Our Unique Store Today
Buckaroo Leather Shopping Site

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

The cinch (girth) has been in use for nearly 3000 years.
The cinch made an appearance around 700 B.C. in the Middle East when Assyrian
warriors added straps to their decorative saddle cloths.

In western riding, the girth is referred to as a cinch. The cinch is a piece of
horse tack used to keep the western saddle in place on the horse. The purpose
of the cinch is to anchor the saddle to the horse as comfortably as
possible. The cinch should not interfere with the horse’s action. The
cinch passes under the barrel of the horse. It attaches to the western saddle
by a single, wide leather strap on each side, called a latigo or billet. The
cinch is one of the most “taken for granted” items on the saddle.

The latigo or billet is a
wide, flexible leather strap. The latigo is attached to the off (right) side of
the western saddle at the saddle's cinch ring or "dee ring", doubled
in thickness and knotted or buckled to the cinch. The latigo is usually kept
attached to both cinch and saddle at all times, except to make fitting
adjustments.

The latigo on the near (left) side is attached to the saddle at all times, but
the loose end is used to secure the saddle for riding. It is attached by running it through the left
cinch ring one or more times, back through the saddle's dee ring, and then
finally buckled or knotted when tight. The latigo is loosened and removed from
the cinch to take the saddle off.

Today’s cinch is made from various types of materials, including nylon, rayon,
felt, cotton, and neoprene. The main objective of the cinch is to transfer
sweat away from the horse's body and allow for evaporation. The above materials
are strong, but do not absorb the sweat.

The old cowboys and traditional Vaqueros wove their cinchas from horse hair. It
was effective and strong. In much the same vane of the old Vaqueros, mohair is
used in today's cinch weaving.

Mohair is a natural animal fiber made from the hair of the
Angora goat. The long silky hair is carded, spun and corded. The mohair is soft,
durable, strong, lightweight and
flexible.. Mohair is very absorbent and breathable, thus it is very comfortable
for the horse.

The cinchas come in a variety of styles. They are either braided or woven and
have different widths and include either brass or silver buckles or d-rings
(dee rings).

The traditional vaquero cinch is a 19 strand style. The
traditional cowboy and Vaquero woven designs are diamond shapes and have the
influence of Native American symbols.

Buckaroo Leather carries these traditional Vaquero cinchas
made from mohair and alpaca.
These natural fiber cinchas are handmade with a custom design and a traditional
cowboy look.

Our family has been dedicated for 30 years in serving
the Western Horseman the safest most durable Quality
American made leather horse tack.......
Buckaroo John Brand
Buckaroo Leather, The Brand to Demand
Visit Our Unique Store Today
Buckaroo Leather Shopping Site